Heartland Community College has recognized a full-time and a part-time faculty member with the Outstanding Faculty Award.
Phil Vandiver is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award. Laura Coughlin is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award.
One Heartland Outstanding Full-Time and Part-Time Faculty Member are selected each year from student nominations. The Heartland Community College recipients are also submitted to the Illinois Community College Trustees Association for the statewide award.
Phil Vandiver has been teaching for over twenty years in the program he created for Heartland Community College: Digital Media Communication. Under Vandiver’s leadership, the DMED program was the first at the College to deliver content via video lectures to students, far before it became standard.
During his career at Heartland, Vandiver has served as Faculty Advisor for the College’s chapters of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the SkillsUSA, helped present student film festivals, led the development of a Faculty Mentoring Program, and served as Faculty Advisor. He serves as the Program Coordinator for Digital Media, serving as the Chair of the Assessment Committee for two terms, and serving on numerous college committees and boards.
Adjunct Professor of Anatomy and Physiology Laura Coughlin has taught at Heartland Community College for four years.
Coughlin serves as a positive role model for students interested in health care. She brings 24 years of experience as a licensed physical therapist and administrator to her classroom. She holds an M.S. in physical therapy from Touro College, an MBA from the University of St. Francis, and a BA in Biology from Drake University.
Both Outstanding Faculty Awardees will be recognized at the Heartland Community College Board of Trustees meeting on April 16, 2024.
